Britain Cites `Signals' From Ira On Giving Up Weapons For Peace

LONDON — Britain welcomed on Thursday what it called "signals" that the Irish Republican Army was close to giving up some of its weapons as part of the Northern Ireland settlement.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair, however, denied newspaper reports that arrangements for a handover had been made.

"There have been signals that we welcome. There are signals that they are aware of the importance of decommissioning," he said when asked about the IRA.

"They accept it is part of the agreement. How it will happen is not yet clear. It is wrong to say venues have been identified," he said.

The agreement reached between Northern Ireland's main political parties in April stated that guerrilla groups should give up their weapons in exchange for the release of prisoners.

The British and Irish governments hope the agreement will end 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland between pro-British Protestants and Roman Catholic nationalists, who want to be ruled by Dublin.

The Express newspaper said on Thursday that there was a growing belief the IRA would hand over a quantity of guns and bombs before the Northern Ireland assembly meets in September to begin selecting the 10-member executive.

John de Chastelain, head of the independent commission on decommissioning, cautioned against expectations that would be made during the summer.

He told the BBC he expected developments to take place "in the fall, before Christmas."

The people of Northern Ireland expect to see some progress in the months ahead, he added.

"I think they will be very disappointed and discouraged if they don't see decommissioning in the foreseeable future," he said.

The Express said plans for a handover already were advanced, with remote fields chosen along with international and non-aligned figures acting as witnesses.

The signals came against a background of 10 days of violence from Protestant militants in Portadown, angry that an Orange Order parade has been banned from passing through a Catholic nationalist area.

In addition, three boys were killed in a firebombing on Sunday in Ballymoney, about 40 miles northwest of Belfast.

The boys' mother said Thursday that her last memory of them is their shouts when she awakened to find the family home ablaze.

"I woke up to smoke. The kids were in their bedroom. I heard them," Chrissie Quinn, 29, said in an interview to be aired Friday on Britain's GMTV station. "I shall always remember that."

Police investigating the boys' deaths announced a "small number" of arrests Thursday. The suspects join one man detained earlier in the week; another was released on Wednesday.